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  • Walk Norwich

    • Walktober

    Taftville Fire Chief Tim Jencks giving a tour of Ponemah Mills

    The City of Norwich is proud to be a member of the Last Green Valley. The Last Green Valley is a National Heritage Corridor comprised of 35 towns in Eastern Connecticut and Southern Massachusetts. The Last Green Valley, Inc. (TLGV) is a nonprofit charitable organization established in 1995. They are advocates for the fragile and irreplaceable resources of The Last Green Valley. Founded as a grassroots organization, and built upon a proven track record of success and partnerships, TLGV is ensuring a natural and cultural legacy for generations to come.

    During the past 30 years, the Last Green Valley has been sponsoring walks which began as Walking Weekends in October and which have morphed from one weekend of guided walking tours to a month long event called Walktober. Norwich’s participation in Walktober has grown exponentially over the past few years and we are pleased to have offered over 35 walks and events in Norwich for Walktober 2019.  The Norwich Historical Society is proud to coordinate Norwich’s Walktober experiences. In 2020, the Norwich Historical Society coordinated virtual experiences which can be accessed on the Last Green Valley’s website and YouTube channel.

    WALKTOBER 2023

    Norwich has over 40 walking tours, events, and virtual experiences for Walktober 2023!  Our in person walks are located on our events calendar. The virtual experiences are available on the Norwich Historical Society’s website and the The Last Green Valley’s website and Youtube Channel.

    Please look for Norwich’s walks in the 2023 Walktober Calendar! The Walktober Calendars will be available Labor Day weekend 2023.

    Come Walk Norwich this Walktober and enjoy everything the Rose City has to offer!

    See all of Norwich’ s Walktober Walks on our events calendar!

    LIKE NHS on Facebook to be kept up to date on any changes, additions or cancellations.

    Connect with The Last Green Valley online to see all related Walktober information.

    Dave Oat giving a tour of the Norwichtown Colonial Burial Ground

    Thank you to our sponsoring organizations and partners

    Calkins Family Association
    City of Norwich
    Mohegan Striders
    Greeneville Neighborhood Revitalization Committee
    Guns of Norwich Historical Society
    Geoff & Kim McLean
    Leffingwell House Museum
    The Mohegan Tribe
    CT Humanities

    Taftville Fire Company #2
    Thayer’s Marine
    Vic Butsch & Tom Coletti
    Zack Lamothe
    Roberta Vincent
    Melodye Whatley
    Grace Episcopal Church
    Ellis Walter Ruley Committee
    Norwich Community Development Corporation

    Norwich Free Academy
    Heritage Information Radio
    Norwich Historical Society
    Norwich Lion’s Club
    Norwich Public Utilities
    Otis Library
    Slater Memorial Museum
    Norwich City Historian Dale Plummer
    Norwich Millionaires’ Triangle/Tricia Staley

    Antient Ghosts of Norwich Tour

    Norwich Historical Society. Oct. 18, 2021. (Sean Flynn)

    The Norwich Historical Society hosts an annual ghost tour through the Colonial Burial Ground in Norwichtown on the Friday before Halloween. (October 27, 2023)

    As dusk approaches, stroll through one of Norwich’s oldest graveyards and hear colonial history and local ghostly legends.  There will be four tours leaving at 6:20pm, 6:40pm, 7:00pm, and 7:20pm – each tour will be limited to 30 people each. Please register and purchase your ticket(s) in advance at norwichhistoricalsociety.org. Tickets go on sale October 2, 2023.  Special thanks to CT Humanities for making this event possible.

    Norwich Historical Society. Oct. 18, 2021. (Sean Flynn)

    Meet Team Walktober 2016

    The Mr. or Ms. Walktober honor has been bestowed upon only a small number of walk leaders over the past few years, and this year we introduce a dynamic duo from Norwich as they join this extraordinary club! In 2016, Dianne & Regan teamed up to provide what is becoming a model for other towns organizing a Walktober lineup. All Norwich Walktober experiences are gathered and strategically scheduled to offer attendees memory-making visits. You can plan to spend a day in Norwich and comfortably attend more than one Walktober experience.

    Dianne’s lifetime love of Norwich architecture led her to purchase an 1860 Greek Revival home in Norwich with her husband in 2001. As secretary of the Norwich Historical Society and co-chair of Norwich’s Semiseptcentennial Celebration, it seemed natural for Dianne to be part of the newly-formed Norwich Walktober planning group 3 years ago, and to become its chairwoman for the last 2 years. An avid Walktober participant, Dianne is thrilled and honored to be in the position of actually coordinating the walking tours she loves so much!

    A Norwich native, Regan Miner is a graduate of the University of Connecticut with a bachelor’s degree in History and holds a Master’s Degree in Public History from Central Connecticut State University. In her role as Executive Director to the Norwich Historical Society, Miner coordinated major projects promoting Norwich’s history including the restoration of the 1783 Dr. Daniel Lathrop Schoolhouse, now home to the Norwich Heritage & Regional Visitors’ Center, the “Discover Norwich” exhibit, and the Walk Norwich Self-guided trails. Further, Miner preserves, protects, and promotes Norwich’s history through programs such as historical reenactments and by securing funding for the restoration of historic properties. Currently, Miner serves as Chairman of the Norwich Historic District Commission and on the Board of Preservation Connecticut. Lastly, Miner was the recipient of the 2016 40 under Forty Award, the 2016 Connecticut Governor’s Conference on Tourism Rising Star Award, and the 2018 Mimi Findlay Award for Young Preservationists.